Nemesia plant named ‘Wesneche’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nemesia  plant named ‘Wesneche’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniformly mounded growth habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; durable dark green-colored leaves; red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Nemesia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Wesneche’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia, botanically known as Nemesia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Wesneche’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Nemesia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower coloration.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2004 in Südlohn, Germany of a proprietary selection of Nemesia hybrida identified as code number 04P007, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Nemesia hybrida identified as code number 04P194, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Nemesia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Südlohn, Germany in 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Südlohn, Germany since 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Wesneche has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Wesneche’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Wesneche’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and uniformly mounded growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching and flowering plant habit.     -   3. Durable dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Intense red-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia are more vigorous than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia have stronger lateral branches than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Nemesia have larger leaves than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Nemesia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia are more compact and less vigorous         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia have smaller flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Nemesia and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have orange red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Nemhapri, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,108. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed from plants of the cultivar Nemhapri in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia had stronger lateral branches than         plants of the cultivar Nemhapri.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia had larger leaves than plants of         the cultivar Nemhapri.     -   3. Plants of the new Nemesia had more open flowers than plants         of the cultivar Nemhapri.     -   4. Plants of the new Nemesia and the cultivar Nemhapri differed         in flower color as plants of the cultivar Nemhapri had pink and         orange-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Inuprasp, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,978. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed from plants of the cultivar Inuprasp in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia had longer lateral branches than         plants of the cultivar Inuprasp.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia had longer leaves than plants of         the cultivar Inuprasp.     -   3. Plants of the new Nemesia had more open flowers than plants         of the cultivar Inuprasp.     -   4. Plants of the new Nemesia were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Inuprasp.     -   5. Plants of the new Nemesia and the cultivar Inuprasp differed         in flower color as plants of the cultivar Inuprasp had red         purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nemesia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Wesneche’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Südlohn, Germany, under commercial practice during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranging from 16° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranging from 3,000 lux to 50,000 lux. Rooted young plants were grown for about 20 weeks when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nemesia hybrida cultivar Wesneche. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Nemesia             hybrida identified as code number 04P007, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Nemesia             hybrida identified as code number 04P194, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 to 18 days at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 to 24             days at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 to 26             days at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; color, close to 158A.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense to dense.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright and uniformly             mounded growth habit; plants roughly spherical. Freely             branching with two lateral branches potentially forming at             every node. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 36 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 18.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.2 mm to 3.9 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong; flexible.         -   Aspect.—Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—146A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 7.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 146A; venation, 146A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 146D; venation, 146D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers             arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards             the apex. Flowers bilabiate. Flowers face mostly outwardly.             Flowers not persistent. Freely flowering habit with about 16             to 19 flowers and flower buds per raceme.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—In Germany, plants flower from             spring to fall; flowering continuous during this period.             Flowers last about five to seven days on the plant.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Tube length.—About 1 cm.         -   Tube diameter, at base of flower.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 8 mm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Color: 145C to 145D; venation, N79C.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five modified petals; four upper petals             fused forming an upright lobed and arched banner lip; lower             petal modified into a larger lip with convex oval             protuberance with serves as a pollinator nectar guide and             landing platform. Shape: Upper lip: Oblong. Lower lip:             Spatulate. Apex: Upper lip: Rounded. Lower lip: Emarginate.             Margin: Upper lip: Entire. Lower lip: Slightly undulate.             Length: Upper lip: About 1.2 cm. Lower lip: About 1.3 cm.             Width: Upper lip: About 8 mm. Lower lip: About 2.3 cm.             Texture, upper and lower lips, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower lips lobes: When             opening, upper surface: 53C; protuberance, 34A; nectar             guides, 187B to 187C. When opening, lower surface: 54A.             Fully opened, upper surface: Upper petals, 53B; lower petal,             53A to 53B; protuberance, N34A to N34B; nectar guides, 79A.             Color becoming closer to 60B to 60C with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 60B. Color becoming closer to 60B             with development. Color, tube: Upper lip, 157D; lower lip,             158A. Color, throat: Upper lip, 144C; lower lip, 17A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Calyx star-shaped with five sepals             fused at the base. Shape: Acicular. Apex: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 1.2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 147B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower. Filament color: Close to 155A. Anther shape:             Reniform. Anther length: About 1.3 mm. Anther diameter:             About 1.4 mm. Anther color: 11A. Pollen amount: Moderate to             abundant. Pollen color: 12A. Pistils: Quantity: One per             flower. Pistil length: About 2.3 mm. Style length: Less than             1 mm. Style color: 144C. Stigma shape: Ovate. Stigma color:             Close to 155D. Ovary color: 144C. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Nemesia. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Nemesia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed to     tolerate wind and rain and have good garden performance. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Nemesia plant named ‘Wesneche’ as illustrated and described. 